February 28, 2024

Air Fryer Veggies In Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce (oil free)

Name: Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, chopped small; 1 inch fresh ginger, grated; 1 tsp lemongrass, chopped super small (**see notes above to properly peel and cut lemongrass if needed); 1 tbsp Gochujang; 1 tsp nori flakes; 1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium); 1/2 tbsp mirin; 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 1/4 cup water (add more if need); 3/4 tsp corn starch; 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves; 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1x1 inch pieces; 6 oz sweet peppers (can substitute any peppers); 1/4 red onion, sliced; 5.3 oz white beech mushrooms

Air Fryer Veggies In Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce (oil free)

Do you crave spicy Thai food as much as I do, but need to ease up on the take out? Well you’ve come to the right place! These Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce are a GAME CHANGER! This 15 minute recipe is so incredibly easy to make and is absolutely loaded with flavor! Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce has all of those aromatic, insanely flavorful ingredients that is often found in Thai food…but it’s made spicy with Korean Gochujang! The result? A mouth-watering fusion of flavor!

Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce is made with Japanese Eggplant, sweet peppers, red onions, and white beech mushrooms…air fried to perfection and tossed in a light, umami rich, spicy sauce made with Thai basil, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, Gochujang, nori flakes, soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, and sugar.

15 minutes…fresh ingredients…a TON of flavor…YES! You need to make this recipe!

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Why you will love this recipe

Trust me when I say you will fall in love with this recipe! Why? This recipe is…

Super easy to make…even a beginner in the kitchen can successfully make this baby!
Can be prepped and ready to serve in 15 minutes
Low in calories, oil free and loaded with nutrients
A fun fusion of flavors! Combining Thai inspired ingredients with Korean Gochujang is a match made in heaven!
Perfect for meal prep and can be made in large batches in advance
vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based
Super easy way to get more healthy veggies on your table!

Ingredients you will need for Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce

You do not have to be an expert chef or spend a ton of time in the kitchen to create an incredibly flavorful dish. What’s the secret? Fresh ingredients and the right combination of flavors. Here’s a bit more information about the ingredients used to achieve this…

Ingredients for Air Fryer Veggies

Japanese Eggplant– can substitute any eggplant
Sweet Peppers– I used mini sweet peppers, but any bell pepper works
Red onion– can substitute sweet onion, or any onion or shallot of choice
White Beech mushrooms– These mushrooms are super fun and the texture is fantastic. But if you can’t find these mushrooms, you can substitute any mushroom…my second choice would be shiitake or enoki mushrooms.

Ingredients for Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce

Thai basil leaves – more info below
Lemongrass – more info below
Gochujang – more info below
Nori Flakes – more info below
Garlic
Ginger
Soy Sauce – low sodium
Mirin – slightly sweet rice wine
Rice wine vinegar – can substitute any vinegar
Sugar – can substitute agave, maple syrup or sweetener of choice
Water
Corn Starch – used to thicken sauce

Thai Basil

One of the main stars of this dish is Thai Basil. If you have not had the pleasure of experiencing Thai basil, today is the day! Thai basil is more peppery than traditional basil and has a hint of anise (licorice) flavor. You can find Thai basil in the produce section of many grocery stores and you can always find it at your local Asian market.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a super unique ingredient that is often found in Thai Food. It has a lemony, citrus flavor with hints of ginger and mint and can be describes as a bit floral. You can find lemongrass in the produce section of many grocery stores and you can always find it at your local Asian market. If you cannot find a fresh stalk of lemongrass, you can substitute lemongrass paste.

Gochujang

Gochujang is a spicy paste used in Korean cooking. This paste is made from fermented soy beans, rice, chili peppers, and salt. Gochujang can be described as spicy, sweet, and well rounded. It’s comforting, complex flavor is an amazing addition to many dishes. You can find Gochjuang in the international section of most grocery stores, online, or at your local Asian market.

Nori Flakes

A lot of Thai cuisines include fish sauce. Fish sauce brings an umami rich, salty, seafood flavor to the table. But of course…it’s not vegan. To create a similar flavor profile that is vegan, I often substitute nori. Nori flakes are seaweed and are absolutely perfect for adding a vegan seafood flavor to any dish! You can find them in the international section of most grocery stores, online, or at your local Asian market.

How to make Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce

As mentioned above…these Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce are so simple to make!…and they only take 15 minutes!

Preheat your air fryer

Begin by preheating oven to 400ºF. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, simply turn on your empty air fryer for 5 minutes before use.

Prepare the Gochujang Thai Basil sauce

First you will focus on the sauce. In a sauce pan combine 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 inch of grated ginger, 1 tsp of fresh lemongrass slice super thin (read notes below), 1 tbsp Gochujang, 1 tsp nori flakes, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat. Allow to cook and reduce for 12 minute, stirring occasionally. Sauce should reduce, but not dry out completely. Add additional water if needed.

ingredients for Gochujang Thai sauce in a pan

At the 12 minute mark, add 3/4 tsp corn starch. Mix quickly and vigorously to prevent corn starch from clumping up. Once corn starch has dissolved into sauce, add 1/4 cup of Thai basil leaves. Allow to cook for one more minute. Then remove from heat.

While Gochujang Thai Basil sauce is cooking, move ahead to the veggies.

HOW TO PREPARE AND CUT LEMONGRASS

To properly cut lemongrass, first cut off the bottom of the stalk (about 1/2 inch)
Next cut off the top inch or two and remove leaves
Peel back the first two layers of the lemongrass, remove and discard. These layers are more tough and difficult to chew. You may need to peel off more layers, depending on freshness of lemongrass, so adjust as needed.
Slice you remaining lemongrass stalk into very thin slices. Continue cutting lemongrass until lemongrass has been diced into tiny pieces. You will need 1 tsp of lemongrass for this recipe.

Prep Your veggies

Prep your veggies for the air fryer. Thoroughly wash your vegetables, of course. Then cut Japanese eggplant into cubes about 1inch by 1inch. Slice your red onion and sweet peppers. Cut off the bottoms of your white beech mushrooms and separate them.

veggies for air fryer veggies Gochujang Thai sauce

Place your veggies in a single layer on an air fryer tray. Place in preheated air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 400ºF. At the 5 minute mark, mix your veggies to allow them to cook more evenly. Veggies will be ready when they are juicy and tender.

All air fryers tend to cook at slightly differently rates, adjust time as needed.

Should you add oil to air fryer veggies?

Personally, I like to skip out on oil whenever possible. I don’t need the extra fat or calories. However, if desired, feel tree to add a little oil to your veggies before you air fry them. This will make them slightly more moist.

Put it all together

Once the veggies have been finished cooking and your sauce is ready, it’s time to put it all together! Place your air fried veggies in a bowl. Pour the Gochujang Thai Basil sauce over top. Stir until evenly combined.

Serve and Enjoy!

What to serve with Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce

Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce make the perfect vegetable side dish for any Asian inspired meal! Serve this easy side dish along side miso noodle soup or a vegan bulgogi rice bowl. These Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce can be turned into a super healthy, full meal by serving them with rice or noodles and some air fryer tofu!

Want more Asian-Inspired Vegetable Side dishes that can be made in the air fryer? Check out these recipe!

Meal Prep Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce

Yes! These Air Fryer Veggies in Gochujang Thai Basil Sauce are PERFECT for meal prep. Just make a batch of these babies in advance and store them in an air tight container for up to five days in the fridge. When you are ready to chow down, just reheat and serve!